Storm Management Operations Map

About the Program

Category: Information Technology (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

The Montgomery County, Maryland Storm management Operations Map, developed by the Department of Technology Services (DTS) in close collaboration with the Department of Transportation (DOT), provides a new, online tool that makes it easier for citizens to decide when to safely venture out of their homes following a snowstorm. The online tool shows the progress of snow plows throughout the County and indicates when emergency routes, primary roads and neighborhood streets have been cleared. Using the map’s search capability, residents can immediately focus on the plow status of their street and surrounding streets and then zoom out to check on the status of their entire route.. Each road category, either an emergency/main route or neighborhood street, is designated on the map by a different color. Patterns are used to show whether plowing has started, is in progress, or is complete. The map also provides residents instant access to live views from any of the county’s nearly 200 traffic cameras along with either helpful information, such as the location of bus stops, Metro stations and all public schools throughout the County. Residents may also use the online map to easily report an intersection that needs additional sand or salt, a missed street, or a damaged mailbox during a snowstorm. By using in-house resources, the County was able to develop a system that more effectively met the County’s needs at a considerably lower cost than the current systems available on the market. Following the County Executive’s press conference on the subject, the Snowplow Tracking System was widely featured by area media such as NBC, CBS, FOX News and the Washington Post.